Tis the worst season on Broadway fa la la la la...

[NewYorkTheater]

The surprise for me this season is how half-baked so many of the shows were, especially the plays of late -- as if they were works in progress, or meant to be part of a larger evening of one-acts.

[FlowerChild67]

I can't have been the only one who sung the thread title....

[goldenboy]

I don't think anyone said Broadway was dying... just that the new shows were mostly lackluster with some exceptions. Exceptions being Drood,Golden Boy, and Virginia Woolf.

Lackluster was Anarchist, Chaplin, The Performers, Dead Accounts, Scandalous,
and that awful revival of Annie which if there is a theatre god---should close soon.

We look forward to the Spring because Hope Springs Eternal. Onward to Cinderella, Kinky Boots, Nance, Matilda. Motown and Hands on a Hardbody.

[AnythingGoes23]

Not saying Broadway is Dieing at all... Just commenting on a lackluster season.

[My Oh My]

What is up with people's spelling and grammar on these boards lately? I'd be the LAST person to interject with some complaint over spelling and grammar, but it's ridiculous lately!

Please briefly look over your posts before posting, people!

One can only take so many posts that read like so:

"I cann has to be the winter becuse thas te leastg seckessful tyme fer Broardsway."

Come now!

[Kelly2]

AnythingGoes23, considering the embarrassment of riches that is DROOD, and the plethora of shows with high-pedigree in terms of creative talent coming in the Spring, I daresay this season is far less lackluster than, say, 2010, where our "best" was American Idiot and Memphis.

[AnythingGoes23]

I blame grammar on iPhone constant desire to predict what I am saying..!

Memphis did well on Broadway and American Idiot not bad...

2012 has seen so many shows close early.

[Scarywarhol]

I'm not particularly worried for the future of the American Theatre or anything, these things come in waves, but this is certainly the worst autumn, quality-wise, that I have seen since I started paying attention a decade ago. The new musicals have been uncomfortably embarrassing to sit through (what grade level is Chaplin's composer/lyricist reading at now? Has he learned his fiftieth word?) and the plays have been just as bad. The Performers, Anarchist, Dead Money...I mean, good God! Grace was okay. Mostly, revivals have been the only watchable productions.

[RippedMan]

There just aren't any surprises coming into town. I'm not really excited for anything coming in the Spring. I mean, sure, Matilda might be cool, but I'm still not sure it's going to be this monster hit people think it will be. They need a new marquee and poster. That one just looks cheap.

[Scarywarhol]

Sorry, I meant Dead Accounts. I couldn't even remember the title.

Matilda is fantastic. It's exactly what we need. I disagree about the poster; it looks pretty striking and it's certainly better than the creeptastic photoshop celebrity pictures that make up nearly everything else we see these days.

[Mister Matt]

People say this every season. Doesn't matter what's playing on Broadway. Just like every Tony broadcast is the worst Tony broadcast. Fa la la la la...la blah blah blah.

[ReggieonBway]

Really don't see Matilda being a monster hit, but I am waiting for Allegiance to hit Broadway.

[goldenboy]

Having seen it in London, (yawn) I am not that excited about Matilda. It is charming for about 15 minutes and then it gets dull. Great sets and costumes.

[Kelly2]

Agree with goldenboy, re: Matilda. Saw it abroad and found it to be much less impressive than I expected. The music didn't really do much for me.

[newintown]

When more than 1/2 the shows that open on Broadway in a calendar year are re-treads, then I would say that things aren't particularly vital.

[AnythingGoes23]

Mister Matt, I'm never on to say these type of things, but surely you can't say this season is good?!

Matilda will do well I think, it will appeal and steal the Annie market left, right and centre.

[spike3]

Back in the day, if a show stunk like yesterdays dirty diapers it closed, sometimes even on Opening Night. Then we had the big corps come in and keep pouring money into garbage -for the Broadway prestige- so they could tour, sell more merch, lure more unsuspecting tourists in etc.

Seems the financial problems of the world have finally caught up with Broadway, so it appears not many people are willing to drop money down the toilet. Perhaps people are just getting smarter

[JoeKv99]

So Anything Goes- what was a "Great" season and DID YOU SAY SO AT THE TIME?

I first started following BWW in the fall of 2003 and I can tell you- EVERYONE bemoaned the horror that was that season. Now, just shy of 10 years later it looks mighty good: Big River, Little Shop, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Assassins revivals and Avenue Q, Wicked, Caroline, Boy from Oz, I am My Own Wife....

[Mister Matt]

Mister Matt, I'm never on to say these type of things, but surely you can't say this season is good?!

I'm not saying it's good or bad. I doubt it's "the worst", but we always hear it's "the worst" every season.

Back in the day, if a show stunk like yesterdays dirty diapers it closed, sometimes even on Opening Night. Then we had the big corps come in and keep pouring money into garbage -for the Broadway prestige- so they could tour, sell more merch, lure more unsuspecting tourists in etc.

Depends on who you ask. When was "back in the day"? When there were fewer tourists? Especially international? Back when when there far fewer media outlets and less competition for entertainment? Back when the height of technology was a couple of TV stations broadcasting to fewer than 50% of American homes? Back when reviews and published opinions were few?

If you don't like something, does that mean everyone should think it is "garbage" and those who don't share your opinion are intellectually inferior? Times change. Audiences change. Art evolves. And Broadway always was, and always will be, a commercial enterprise. People want to be entertained and they keep open the shows they find entertaining. If nobody wants to see a show, it closes. Just like always.

Seems the financial problems of the world have finally caught up with Broadway, so it appears not many people are willing to drop money down the toilet.

What on earth are you talking about? Have you looked at the numbers this year? Nobody's throwing money down any toilet. There are no guarantees anyone will like a show. They simply buy a ticket to what they want to see and hope they enjoy it like any other form of entertainment. Just like always.

[Ed_Mottershead]

My experience has been that, with few exceptions, the stuff that opens before the end of the year is not good, for whatever reason. I'm sure that the good stuff will start showing up in February. And I strongly feel that is because of the Tony awards. Just a fact of life. I'm not all that happy about it, but it is what it is.